The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys are ranked No. 16 on the final American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches' Poll.

Tech finished the year 10-2 and reached the second round of the NCAA playoffs before losing a 42-24 decision to Albany State.

Valdosta State, who came from behind to defeat Pittsburg State 36-31 in the national championship game, was voted as the No. 1 team in the nation with its 13-1 record. The Blazers' only loss was to Albany State on opening day.

The Wonder Boys won their first nine games and were ranked as high as No. 6 on the national chart before losing a regular-season closer to Central Arkansas, 38-31, in two overtime periods.

Posting its first 10-win season in 33 years and only the fourth in school history, Tech reached an unblemished 9-0 plateau with wins over Northeastern State (52-28), Henderson State (40-14), Southern Arkansas (35-21), West Alabama (42-28), West Georgia (28-14), Delta State (35-29), Ouachita Baptist (31-10), Arkansas-Monticello (28-14) and Harding (17-14).

Following the seven-point overtime loss at UCA before 10,032 fans, the Wonder Boys then defeated Catawba 24-20 in the first round of the national playoffs to reach the Sweet 16 round before falling to Albany State.

The 9-1 regular season earned Tech the runner-up spot in the Gulf South Conference race and 11 spots on the all-conference teams.

Steve Mullins was named as the Gulf South coach of the year and later as a American Football Coaches Association region coach of the year.